Mary Watkins volunteered for the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1939 when she was 19 and was selected for special duties with MI8 because of her love for crosswords and solving puzzles.
She was told her work would be top secret and she would never be able to talk about it, nor would there be any formal recognition for what she did.
Mary volunteered for the Auxiliary Territorial Service in 1939 (Image: Supplied)
Mary started work on a punch card system of coded letters and numbers which came from the German code device the Enigma Machine.
The machine was used by the German military to send encoded strategic messages.
After being promoted to sergeant, she went work at Bletchley Park, Buckinghamshire, supporting the team that finally cracked the Enigma Code.
The German military used Enigma Machines to send messages (Image: Johnny Green/PA)
Mathematician Alan Turing led the Bletchley Park team to develop a machine which could decipher the German messages.
Code cracker Mary, who is now a resident at Brendoncare Stildon care home in Dorset Avenue, East Grinstead, had previously only received a lapel badge in recognition for her intelligence.
However, her daughter Bobby Cadwallader discovered last year that she could apply to the Ministry of Defence to finally receive the medals.
Mary has finally received her medals (Image: Supplied)
Mary received a veteran’s pin badge similar to the lapel badge she had already been given for her services, then Bobby received a call to say her mother was entitled to a defence medal and a war medal that includes the dates of World War II.
Bobby said: “We were thrilled when we got the call to say she was entitled to these medals.
“She is delighted with these medals now. At 19 she signed the Official Secrets Act and told she would never get any recognition, never receive any thanks or be able to tell anyone what she did.
A close-up of Turing’s machine which cracked the code (Image: PA)
READ MORE: Worthing WW2 veteran given surprise medals at 100th birthday bash
“She is still very reluctant to talk about her work. We are all so proud of her.”
The Brendoncare Foundation is a charity providing care homes and community services for older people across the south of England. It is celebrating 40 years since it become a charitable organisation on February 14.
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